Session 8
(1:00 - 1:45)

Presenter & Affiliation:  Dr. Shelina Warren, Paul Laurence Dunbar HS, DC Public Schools

Session Description:  How do we move from “teaching civics” to practicing democracy? This session shares a turnkey playbook for student-led civic experiences—anchored by Dunbar HS’s Parade to the Polls and extended with peer court, oral-history journalism, and policy advocacy. Grounded in C3/EAD, trauma-informed, and inclusion practices, participants will map community partnerships, plan safe/nondisruptive routes, assign student roles, and build quick reflection-to-action loops. Leave with adaptable templates, consent/media protocols, accessibility checklists, and assessment tools so your students can organize lawful, nonpartisan actions that build civic identity, agency, and joy.

Room: Lavender

Presenter & Affiliation: Josie Perry, National World War II Museum

Session Description:  Oral histories tell stories that can’t be found in textbooks! They allow the people who lived through historic events to speak for themselves, including the tears, the laughs, the frustrations, and a whole range of emotions. Hearing their deeply personal stories in their own words helps to humanize history for the listeners. Oral histories are a powerful tool in any history teacher’s toolbox. In this session, participants will learn tips and strategies for incorporating oral histories into their classroom and gain access to a wealth of oral histories and other resources from the National World War II Museum.

Room: Rosemary

Presenter & Affiliation: Staci Garber, Digging Deeper Educational Consulting

Session Description:  Social studies teachers have long relied on DBQs to engage their students with primary sources and teach writing. But do DBQs still meet the demands of the 21st century? This session introduces Evidence Based Argument Sets, or EBAS - a powerful alternative that integrates historical thinking and media literacy to prepare students for civic life. We’ll highlight the differences between these two tasks, show you why EBAS are the tool our students need to navigate today’s world, and guide you through constructing your own EBAS activity. 

Room: 184

Presenter & Affiliation: Kaitlyn Grundy, Museum of the American Revolution

Session Description:  The events surrounding the United States’ Declaration of Independence are filled with nuance and provide a window into the experiences of everyday people at the moment of our nation’s founding. As the country grew, the ideas of “all men are created equal” and “unalienable rights” became the promise of the Declaration. Participants will explore the voices of the colonists, examine the declarations sent out to the people, and see how everyday people took on the promise of the Declaration of Independence for themselves in the months and years after July 4, 1776.

Room: Thyme

Presenter & Affiliation: Latesha Washington, Temple University

Session Description: This presentation is the collaborative work of one teacher and one teacher educator drawing from a variety of scholarship and resources. The session's content promotes the use of identity charts to cultivate historical empathy and civic engagement when teaching the Reconstruction Era. This session aims to demonstrate how a clear and contextually grounded lesson can be used to promote equity and historical understanding, helping diverse groups of students to develop greater levels of power and autonomy over their learning.

Room: Sage